UAWIL #298: Boston (1976)
50 years ago, the brainchild of Tom Scholz was unleashed onto rock radio as Boston. With over 17 million in US sales, every single song became a classic rock radio staple. But Boston weren't your average rock band and their story is different from most.
Most bands toil for years honing their sound, locking down their lineup, playing gigs around their hometown and then regionally before hitting it big. Though the predecessor to Boston, Mother's Milk, did play gigs in Massachusetts, the visionary on the sound that would become Boston's trademark was Tom Scholz. Tom was not your typical rock star in that he had a master's degree from MIT and was working as an engineer at Polaroid while strategizing on his musical career. He wanted to combine the melodies of the classical music he grew up on with the rock music of the 70s that he loved. He wanted crunching guitars against clear vocals and when he found Brad Delp, he had the voice that make his music soar.
Instead of toiling after hours at a studio, Scholz acquired and engineered a 12 track recording unit and figured out how to the get the sound he wanted. When signed by CBS, they wanted to re-record the songs at a fancy studio but industry vet John Boylan basically ran interference with the suits so Scholz could perfect his songs and transfer the demos to the master tapes (and he got their name changed to Boston). The result sold 17 million copies in the US and was the biggest selling debut for a rock album until Appetite for Destruction by Guns N Roses.
While some of the songs actually charted, all of them became classic rock radio staples. Anyone who grew up on rock radio heard More Than a Feeling, Smokin', Rock & Roll Band, Peace of Mind and Let Me Take You Home Tonight (the only track written by Brad Delp solo) hundreds of times. Foreplay/Longtime were split as different sides of the single but together offer a bit of progginess to the bands repertoire. Though Tom Scholz is educated, his lyrics are themes that most people can relate to - choosing your passion or going corporate, trying to find woman, fantasizing about your future, and taking risks that may or may not pay off. Those guitar hooks and strong vocals make for some AOR platinum.
Say what you want about the band or their sound but this first album struck a chord all over America and still sounds big a bold to this day.
Check out our new website: Ugly American Werewolf in London Website
Visit our sponsor RareVinyl.com and use code UGLY to save 10% off one ENTIRE ORDER!
Email us at uglyamericanwerewolf@gmail.com
bit.ly/UAWILROCKS
www.pantheonpodcasts.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
